Gerald Nailor Original Painting titled “Two Hungry Skunks” dated 1950 [SOLD]

“Two Hungry Skunks” is an original painting by Diné artist Gerald Nailor. Skunks were a favorite subject for Nailor, and his appreciation is evident in this image. A corn plant occupies the center of the piece, reaching up from a blue circular form on which two skunks are perched. The skunks are wonderfully crisp and detailed, with expressive eyes and long, exaggerated tails. The viewer’s attention is commanded immediately by the striking black and white appearance of the skunks, before moving up to the softer tones up above. Here, three ears of corn peek out from behind leaves, offering the skunks something to eat. Two pink hummingbirds appear near the plant’s uppermost leaves.

Nailor’s impressive technical abilities are worth noting, but what is most remarkable is the impression created by the image as a whole. This piece is at once whimsical and refined, inviting the viewer to engage with this tiny corner of the vast desert Southwest and offering much to those who wish to explore the details. Nailor’s work is consistently appealing and uniquely stylish, and this beautiful painting is no exception.

The painting is signed Gerald Nailor and dated ‘50 in lower right. It is framed in a carved wood frame, under conservation glass with archival matting and backing.

Gerald Nailor, Sr. (1917-1952) Toh Yah was an influential Diné painter. He was a printmaker, too, founding and operating a print shop called Tewa Enterprises with his Santa Fe Indian School classmate Harrison Begay.  Their goal was to make Native American artwork—their own and that of their contemporaries—available to a larger audience. They succeeded in increasing the visibility and availability of Native American artworks.  These Tewa prints remain available on the resale market at very low costs, but Nailor’s original paintings are rarely available because he lived a very short life. Nailor died tragically at age 35, after being injured while trying to help a woman who was being beaten by her husband. Despite his shortened life, Nailor exhibited his artwork widely and had works featured in many notable publications. He is remembered today as one of the most talented Diné painters.

Condition: excellent condition with no visible issues

Provenance: this Gerald Nailor Original Painting titled "Two Hungry Skunks" dated 1950 is from a private Santa Fe collection, obtained through a dealer who purchased the piece directly from Nailor

Reference: American Indian Painters: A Biographical Directory, by Jeanne O. Snodgrass

Relative Links: Santa Fe, Allan Houser, Picuris Pueblo, Diné of the Navajo Nation, Dorothy Dunn, Native American Paintings, Gerald Nailor, Diné of the Navajo Nation Painter